Clamp device for garment hangers



Oct. 3, 1950 H. M. OSMONSON 2,524,537 CLAMP DEVICE FOR GARMENT HANGERS Filed Feb. 19, 1947 IN V EN TOR.

Hara/a M 000700600 A77'ORNEXS only one slot. both slots and staggering them so that a tooth Patented Oct. 3, 1950 UNITED! 'STATES PATENT OFFICE CLAMP DEVICE FOR GARMENT HANGERS Harold M. osmonson, Royal Oak, Mich. Application February 19, 194.7,Serial No. 729,615

3 Claims. (01. 24-251) garment hangers and the like. It is an object of this invention to provide a garment hanger which has a wide adaptability in use, and which is simple and easy to use. of the invention are accomplished in a garment hanger which can hold varying thicknesses of cloth, and the gripping jaws of which are held in a locked position by a lock member which also serves as the support for the device.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is an end elevation view, with parts broken away and in section, of a garment holder made according to the invention, showing the device holding a garment. This figure is a section substantially on line ll of Fig. 4.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the garment holder with the gripping jaws open part way.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows one application of the garment hanger of the invention.

Fig. 5 shows another application of the garment hanger, being substantially a view in section on line 5-5 of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the application seen in Fig. 5,

Two elongated members 2 and 4 are pivotally connected together at a point between their ends by means of a pin 6. At their one end the members 2 and 4 are provided with garment grippers 8 which are arranged to oppose each other as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Garment grippers 8 are preferably resilient, being made of a material such as rubber, and may be secured to the members 2 and 4 in any suitable manner. As shown here, the grippers 8 are embedded in the members at or near their lower ends.

The ends of members 2 and 4 opposite the grippers are provided with slots, slot Ill being in the upper end of member 2 and slot l2 being in the upper end of member 4. The slots are provided with indentations i4 along one edge, forming projections or teeth l6 between indentations.

As is best seen in Figs. 1 and 2, slots [0 and I2 intersect along substantially the entire pivotal movement of members 2 and 4.

It will be understood that the device will func tion if indentations and teeth are provided in However, by providing teeth in in one slot is placed opposite an indentation in the other, a, greater number of positions is provided for the lock member l8. See Fig. 1. It should also be pointed out that alignment of the This and other objects 2 teeth in one slot with the teeth in the other slot would necessitate a greater degree of flexibility in the gripping members 8, because the space between these gripping members would be subject to greater variations in the movement of lock member I 8 from one looking position to the next. Concerning the slotted ends of the members 2 and 4, it is'noted that the member 4 is preferably bifurcated and the space between the bifurcations is adapted to receive the slotted end of the member 2.

Fig. 4 shows a garment hanger which incorporates two of the devices of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 as an integral part thereof In Fig. 4 a closet rod '20 is shown as carrying a hook 22. Integral with hook 22 are two outwardly extending arms 24 having opposed inwardl turned ends 26. The support pins secured in the inwardly turned ends 26 are the lock members l8 which serve to hold the pivotally joined members 2 and 4 against pivoting when the garment grippers 8 are supporting a garment 28. The lock member I8 is preferably provided with a head 30 to hold the members 2 and 4 against sliding off the lock member 18. Thus it can be seen that the lock member is also serves as the sole support means for the pivotally joined members 2 and 4.

Fig. 5 shows a garment hanger which may be hung over the top of a door 32 by means of a hooked strap 34. Strap 34 carries a pair of perforated members 36 on which are mounted wires 3H8 which serve the same purpose as the lock members l8.

Operation In operation, the garment gripping ends of members 2 and 4 are prepared to receive a garment by spreading their gripping ends apart. This spreading apart is accomplished by biasing the gripping ends together with the fingers and then pushing the members 2 and 4 upward against lock member l8, thus forcing lock member l8 against the smooth edges of slots l0 and I2. A garment 28 or 328 is thereupon inserted between the grippers 8 and the gripper ends are again pinched together, but this time the members 2 and 4 are biased downward against lock member [3 to bring the lock member into engagement with the toothed edges of slots l0 and 12. The pinching together operation is performed at the same time that the members 2 and 4 are pulled downward. The lock member I8 will fall into one of the indentations and will hold the members 2 and 4 against pivoting, locking them in position. The gripper members 8, being resilient,

will be deflected somewhat, as shown in Fig. 1. However, even in the deflected position, they exert a spreading bias against the lower ends of members 2 and 4, causing the edges of the slots l and I2 to press against the lock member I8.

When it is desired to release the garment 28 or 328 from the garment hanger, the gripper ends are pinched together against the bias of resilient grippers 8, enough to release lock member I8 from the indentation in which it happens to be lying, and the members 2 and 4 are then raised to cause the smooth edges of slots l0 and I2 to ride on member [8, and the gripper ends of members 2 and-4 can be spread apart.

I claim:

1. In a garment hanger, a pair of members pivotally joined together, one of the members being bifurcated and receiving one end of the other member between the bifurcations, the bifurcated end of the one member and the cooperating end of the other member being provided with slots each of which has a plurality of indentations along one edge, the indentations being staggered, with each indentation of each slot lying opposite a point between indentations in the other slot, and a lock member in the slots and engageable with one indentation only.

2. In a clamp, a pair of members pivotally joined together, one of the members being bifurcated and receiving one end of the other member between the bifurcations, the bifurcated end of the one member and the cooperating end of the other member being slotted, a plurality of teeth along one edge of each slot, the teeth in one slot being staggered with respect to the teeth 4 in the other slot, and a lock member in the slots and in contact'with one tooth of one slot while lying between two teeth of the other slot.

3. In a clamp, a pair of members pivotally joined together, means on the members to grip an element, each member being provided with a slot in one end which has a plurality of indentations along one edge and a lock member in the slots and engageable with any indentations, the members being arranged with their slotted ends in overlapping relation, the indentations being staggered, with each indentation of each slot lying opposite a point between indentations in the other slot, such that the lock member may lie in only one indentation in an locked position in the slots.

HAROLD M. OSMONSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 474,719 Brande May 10, 1892 568,525 Davis Sept. 29, 1896 678,073 Osgood July 9, 1901 1,113,061 Snell Oct. 6, 1914 1,241,806 Anderson Oct. 2, 1917 1,274,006 Clarke et al July 30, 1918 1,523,545 Lamb Jan. 20, 1925 1,999,287 Dufiy Apr. 30, 1935 2,149,144 McLarty Feb. 28, 1939 

